Dashain Gatherings: Catching Up With Family and Friends Over Tea

Dashain is Nepal's biggest festival: a time for tika and jamara, blessings from elders, kites in the sky and, above all, reunions. People travel home, relatives visit from abroad, and old friends finally find time to meet.

Tea is part of every visit

During Dashain, homes are full of guests, and every guest is offered something to drink. Chiya is almost always first. It's the drink that welcomes people in and keeps conversations going between meals.

Meeting friends outside the house

With homes busy and full during the festival, many friends prefer to meet somewhere relaxed and nearby. A cafe with good tea and room to sit is ideal for:

• Catching up with school or college friends who are home for the holidays
• Meeting cousins away from the busy family home
• Taking a break between family visits

Tips for planning a festival catch-up

1. Pick a time early. Festival days fill up fast with family duties.
2. Choose somewhere easy to reach. Traffic patterns change around the festival.
3. Keep it simple. Good tea, some snacks and time to talk are all you need.
4. Check opening hours. Many businesses change hours around the main festival days. Call ahead.

Planning a bigger group?

If you're bringing a larger group of friends or family, tell us in advance through Plan Your Gathering and our team will get back to you to talk it through.

Find us this Dashain

Chiya Table is on Kotdevi Marg, Kathmandu. Our usual hours are 5:00 AM to 9:30 PM, but please contact us or call ahead during the festival. Happy Dashain from all of us!